


The measure of a woman

by marysutherland



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 221B Ficlet, Episode: s02e01 A Scandal in Belgravia, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-07
Updated: 2012-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-29 02:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/315047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marysutherland/pseuds/marysutherland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Irene knows how men's minds work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The measure of a woman

The secret to defeating men is letting them think they're winning. Irene's known that since she was twelve, rewarding the boy who did her French homework with French kisses. She's given a lot of men a lot of pleasure since. And extracted an excessively high price in return.

Her safe comes with two combinations: originally, one would open it safely, the other would set off an alarm. Now, thanks to a gun expert who enjoyed Irene's version of Russian roulette, the person who opens Irene's safe with the wrong combination will be shot.

No, the _man_ who does. A woman might well be suspicious about Irene's combination supposedly being her vital statistics. Realise that there are days when even the most attractive woman doesn't want to be reminded that her body's not the perfect shape.

On the other hand, the two men who have forced her to reveal that her key-code is 32-24-34 have thought it funny and plausible that a woman – a sex worker – would be so vain. Though Irene had the last laugh, naturally, over their lifeless bodies.

For a clever man like Sherlock, there's the extra twist: letting him deduce the wrong combination himself. Though she does tip him the wink just before he opens the safe; she might yet want to make further use of _that_ brain.


End file.
